Its Saturday the third round of cricket for our local cricket club the Lions is washed out. Upstairs in the Sports Bar its getting a bit loud.
“I will come to you at niiiightime” begins the voice flat and obviously intoxicated
“And I will raise you from your sleeeeep” joins in the group watching.
The guitar player is wincing as the song continues out of tune and even louder.
“And we may never meet agaiiiiin, sooooo shed you skin and let’s get staaarted.”
“And you will throooooooow your arrrms arooouuund meeee!”
The cacophony rises as they all try to hit the solo and the backing vocals at the same time.
The guitar player refuses the plea to allow them to sing along for the rest of the night. Its his gig and he’s had enough of them singing off key. The drunken group admit they cannot sing and go back to talking about the problem at hand. The rain.
No One is Playing Cricket
“All undefeated players raise your hand.” shouts Rich captain of the sixes. Eight players raise their hand.
“Hand down Zack. Firsts lost last week!” corrects Rich.
“I didn’t play last week.” corrects Zack.
Our local cricket team the Lions are out to watch the horse racing. No one is playing cricket due to the rain. There are players here from all six senior teams. Only the firsts and seconds have played the opening two rounds. The races have all been over for a while and the coverage has ended. The news begins.
Rich drains his beer. “You want another..?” he asks Raj
“Nah I’m thinking of going.” Replies Raj. “Look at that. Oh hell Jonno’s in Rochy”
“Where’s that?” asks Rich.
“Between Bendigo and Echuca.” answers Raj.
“Not playing cricket there for a while too.” laments Rich.
“No one’s playing cricket!” shouts Rich. “No one’s playing cricket!”
The chant actually gets momentum and repeats a few more times. But its a desperate cry that only peters out as quickly as it began.
Cricket Gone Till November?
The non cricketing cricket players trickle out of the sports bar. Live posts of the singing are circulating on the facebook group LionzDen. Of course the lols are had but more than a few reminders that later this week there is rain forecasted.
On the Sunday a player from another local team The Angels asks a big question.
“Is the association going to have us play games back to back Saturday Sunday to catch up?” Raj’s brother Sunny asks Raj.
“For the threes and fours that might be possible.” answers Raj. “But imagine Wally and Lloyd playing two games a week for a month.”
“Yeah nah” understands Sunny. “Wally’s fifty next year and Lloyd is almost sixty. Yeah, they can’t do that.”
“Who said it?” follows up Raj.
“Bluey from the Angles said it on facebook today.” reveals Sunny. “Its kinda like Pauly wanting the threes and fours playing instead of the ones and twos”
“Everyone wants to play.” says Raj.
So far only the top teams have gotten to play. For some this is ok. Others are not happy about it. Unfortunately this how it goes. Even grounds that have the best drainage are ringed with water. It is a deluge filled with problems for so many right now.
There are parts of Melbourne that are flooded out. Towns like Rochester have been totally been underwater. Homes, families, shops, all flooded some beyond repair. Meanwhile cricket is still not being played. How long? November maybe. We can only wait and see.
Phillip Hall has been too long in Melbourne to see AFL in the same light as those back in Fremantle. East Fremantle born and bred, he would love to see the Dockers back in the eight. But would settle for just beating West Coast twice a year.